Results World Cup Gavere | Lucinda Brand dominates Gavere to seal another World Cup victory

Lucinda Brand delivered a commanding solo performance to win the women’s race at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup Gavere, turning a chaotic opening into a decisive demonstration of control on one of the calendar’s most demanding courses.

The race began aggressively, with Manon Fouquenet making the fastest start and immediately positioning herself at the front. Shirin van Anrooij was quick to raise the tempo, moving past both Fouquenet and Brand on the opening lap and briefly opening a gap as the field stretched across the climbs and off-camber sections.

At the first passage of the finish line, Van Anrooij, Fouquenet and Brand had carved out a narrow advantage over a chasing group containing Puck Pieterse, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Gery. The margins were small, but the pace was already forcing early selections.

The race was reshaped when Van Anrooij crashed twice on a slanted off-camber section. The second fall forced her to run to the material post, costing significant time and removing her from contention at the front. From that moment, Brand began to impose herself.

At the second finish line passage, Brand and Alvarado held a small gap over Fouquenet and Gery, with the chasing groups starting to fragment behind. Brand then increased the pressure through repeated accelerations on the climbs, riding through the front rather than relying on a single attack.

After two bike changes, Brand clearly found the optimal setup. Riding cleanly and making no visible mistakes, she began to extend her advantage, while errors and fading momentum disrupted the chase. Pieterse was unable to match Brand’s pace during one of the key accelerations, and Fouquenet established herself as the closest challenger.

Entering the final lap, Brand held a lead of just over 20 seconds, with Fouquenet second and Pieterse third. Behind them, the battle for the remaining top five places continued, but the podium positions were effectively settled.

Brand raised her hand in celebration on the bridge before the finish, sealing another emphatic World Cup victory. Fouquenet and Pieterse completed the podium after a hard fought chase, while Brand’s sustained pressure and faultless riding proved decisive on the Gavere climbs.